WHICH PRINTER TO CHOOSE FOR OCCASIONAL USE?

Having a printer at home is very practical for printing all kinds of documents: cooking recipes, photos, or coloring pages for children. Only these impressions remain occasional, which is why you have to find a printer suitable for this domestic use.

For this, we offer in this article some elements to take into account when buying your equipment that will help you choose the best printer for your family!

Also Read: Best Portable Printer For Photos

Choose an inkjet printer

First, know that there are two types of printers: laser and inkjet.

‣ The laser printer is intended for an intensive printing need, most often in the course of work. In fact, laser printer technology uses powder which is attached to the paper by an electrostatic process. This powder has a less brilliant and duller rendering than ink, but it is more practical and fast for printing large files, for example.

Often more cumbersome, it also consumes more electricity even if it remains more profitable in the long term.

‣ The inkjet printer is a more versatile material and rather intended for home impression. Whether you print on a regular basis or occasionally and not very intensively, you will inevitably find your happiness since many models exist and adapt to your needs.

In addition, inkjet printing is particularly interesting for printing photos: some printers accept several formats and types of paper and the color rendering is very vivid! Usually intended for the general public, it will be more suitable for home prints for family use.

Prefer a printer without integrated printheads

In inkjet printers, there are those with integrated printheads and those without integrated printheads (these will then be located directly on the ink cartridges). The printhead is the element that ejects the micro-droplets of ink onto the paper and the ink can dry out if not used regularly enough.

Thus by preferring a printer without integrated printheads, you reduce the risk of drying because the printheads will be located directly on the ink cartridges and will therefore be renewed at each change of consumables.

Note that these printers are generally cheaper to purchase. On the other hand, the cartridges that will be associated with them will possibly cost more.

Finally, prefer standard cartridges rather than XL cartridges for low usage of your printer as the ink would be likely to dry out before you have even had time to use up the entire contents of the cartridges. These XL cartridges are on the other hand very interesting for regular use because the cost per page is lower.

Our tip: Even if you don’t have a particular printing need, consider doing one or two prints per month.

This will prevent the ink from drying out and will prevent the printer from automatically performing a printhead cleaning too regularly. Indeed, this automatic program can consume a lot of ink.

Multifunction printers: more practical!

Single-function printer models and multi-function printers are available in stores and on the Internet. As their name suggests, some only allow printing while others allow you to scan, photocopy or print from your smartphone.

So unless you are 100% sure that you and your family will never need to use the scanner or copier, we recommend that you use multi-function printers.

Indeed, these are more practical and meet more needs. In addition, there is no real difference in the purchase price between these 2 models.

Think of compact, Wi-Fi enabled printers

For low usage of your printer, you may not want to burden yourself with a model that will take up too much space. To be able to store your printer in the cupboard or so that it does not take up too much space on your desk when you are not using it, opt for a compact printer.

A compact printer is a model with reduced dimensions without compromising on the quality of the prints and the options offered. Indeed, you will find many multifunction models combining small size and the possibility of Bluetooth connection, Wi-Fi, touch screen, or double-sided printing.

Technology WiFi or Bluetooth will allow you to use your printer without having to reconnect many sons as soon as you need it. Thanks to this technology, you will also be able to print from different devices and thus benefit the whole family!

For a larger budget, you can also afford a portable single-function printer that runs on battery and therefore wirelessly and directly thanks to Wi-Fi. Indeed, some models have their own network which allows you to print at home. you or outside. Very light and compact, these nomadic printers can be recharged either on the mains or with a USB port.

As you will have understood, in your case, the most important criteria to take into account to buy your inkjet printer will rather be:

• The print quality (resolution) of prints and photocopies;
• The size of the model so that it is not too bulky;
• The ability to connect and print over Wi-Fi;
• Operation with cartridges having integrated printheads.

If you print little, it will not necessarily be useful to bet on a printer with a very fast printing speed which will cost you more, nor on a high capacity of the input tray (number of sheets).

4 inexpensive printer models selected for you

We have selected for you a list of printer models that could meet your needs if you print little (non-exhaustive list). Each of the models below has the following criteria:

1. Multifunctional: print, scan, and copy
2. Photo quality
3. Space-saving
4. WIFI connection
5. Compatible with cartridges with integrated printheads

HP OfficeJet 200

1. HP Envy 5030
2. HP Deskjet 3639
3. Canon MG 2555S
4. HP OfficeJet 200

When purchasing your printer, it is also important to inquire about the price of the cartridges that come with it. Indeed, sometimes the cartridges alone cost more than the printer. Also, find out about the possibility of having your empty cartridges redeemed by PrinterBeasts.